Mail-marking machine.



'W. D. DOREMUS.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23.19H.

1L flfifill 5 Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. n. DOREMUS.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. I9!!- mwww. Patented. Oct. 31,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITE @A T lD,

WILLARD D. DOREMUS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN POSTAL MACHINES COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION 0F MAINE.

MAIL-MARKING MACHINE.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 138,438, filed January 9, 1903.

Specification of Letters Patent.

23, 1911. Serial No. 610,283.

To all whom it may concern:

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Marking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail marking machines, and consists in certain novel features of construction and operation, all as herein after more fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the annexed drawings, similar letters f reference denote corresponding parts in all views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, certain portions thereof being broken away, the parts being in that position in which a piece of mail-matter is just being moved through the machine for the purpose of marking the same; Fig. 2 a detail view showing the position of the marking die as it passes beneath the inking roller, the adjacent cam wall being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 3 a like view showing the parts in their normal inoperatire position ready to receive a piece of mail-matter, the cam wall being broken away to more clearly show the parts; Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine looking at it from the side opposite to Fig. 1, with the visible parts interlocked as when the machine is ready to receive a piece of mailmatter; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the relative location of the operative parts shown when in positions corresponding relatively to the positions of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 7 is a. detail view illustrating the form of the sevoral parts comprising the actuating clutch mechanism hereinafter more fully described; Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating the form of the gear or segment plate hereinafter more fully described; Fig. 9 is a detail view of an elevation of the support ing bracket, which secures the plate C to the main supporting means A, A; and Fig. 10 is a. transverse sectional view, taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1, the parts being enlarged and the cam disk being in the posi tion shown in Fig. 3 ready to receive a piece of mail matter.

4 Be it known that I, WILLARD D. Donn- MUS, a citizen of the United States, residing I at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

The operative parts. of my machine are mounted upon any suitable standard or pedestal as may be desired, in the present instance, consisting of the legs A, A, and A, which serve as a support for said parts. Said legs are shown as flat, and provided with strengthening ribs a, which serve to reinforce the same.

At what I shall call the front end of the machine, that is, that portion which stands next the operator when in use, are two legs A, A, converging toward the upper end, and one of said legs, (the one at the left hand side of the operator) is provided with a cutout portion at a therein for a portion thereof near the top. Within the said cutout portion, there is secured to said leg A the leg A, which extends from thence downwardly and back to the floor line thereby forming the rear supporting leg, which is bifurcated at its lower end portion, and terminates in the portions a between which is hung the fixed end of the operating treadle B, which extends from thence forward to, and slightly beyond the legs A, A, so as to be easily accessible for operation.

Secured to the standard A, as hereinafter explained, is a letter channel, consisting of a vertical side wall identified as a whole by C, and a flat bottom plate D, secured at its forward end to the side wall by means of the shaft E, upon which it is free to oscillate as occasion may require, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. Projecting latorally from said vertical wall C is a lug or pin F, which carries a coil spring G let into a bifurcation f, in the end of said pin F, at one end, running thence around said pin F, and having its free end 9, projecting outwardly, and against the lower side of the bottom plate D, which plate it yieldingly supports in operative position. Hung in suitable ears or brackets (Z, cl, below the said plate D are two impression rollers d, d the roller cl being in coincidence with the marking roller I, hereinafter described, and the roller d being in coincidence with the cam disk J on the shaft with said marking roller. It will be noted that while said rollers d, (Z are supported below said plate D, the peripheral faces of both of said rollers project slightly above the upper surface of said plate D. Projecting from the side wall C over the plate D is a shaft H, upon which are carried the marking roller 1,. and disk J, both made fast to said shaft H.

Upon the roller I, is secured the permanent member of the marking or cancellation device i, and said roller is adapted to receive the changeable member of said marking device containing the date stamp, etc. The disk J is formed with a substantially circular peripheral face for the major portion of its circumference, but has acam-like projection j, terminating in the angular stop j, at the termination of said cam portion, the purpose of which will be presently explained. Said cam disk J is substantially of the same radius as the circle of the marking die would be if extended entirely around the roller I, and in addition to its other functions serves as a shield for said die to prevent undue friction thereof with the bottom plate D. Above and slightly rearwardly from said marking roller, is an inking roller K, carried on the pin In, from the yielding spring actuated bracket 76 which is pivotally secured at one end to the inner side of ro oer cancellation of letters )assed throiwh the machine.

Upon the portion ofthe shaft H, which projects outwardly from the wall C, awayfrom the letter path are the several members of a clutch w, adapted to produce inter mittent rotation of the marking means. One member of said clutch and the first next said wall C is a disk L secured to the shaft H, and revoluble with it; Upon the disk L is a dog l, upon which bears a spring Z for the purpose of normally holding said dog Z in operative position for engagement with the shouldered disk M lying next thereto, and provided with the angular cut-out portion at m the vertical wall of which engages the dog Z carried from said disk L, when the parts of the machine are in such position that a letter is about to be marked by the die 2', as shown in Fig. 1, which position is properly the normal position of' rest for the several parts thereof. hen the parts are in the position shown in said figure, the spring Z lying between the disk L and the wall C engages with a shoulder-of the cutaway portion Z -of said disk L to prevent rearward movement thereof, that is to pre vent a reverse movement from the line of progression assumed in carrying mail-matter through the machine, which movement is also checked by the stop j of the cam on the disk J, engaging with the roller (l below the line of the bottom plate D. Phus it will be seen that when the parts are normally at rest, the marking die roller can move only progressively in the line of movement taken in marking mail-matter and there will be no probability of a reverse movement of said marking die, and incident smearing of mail-matter. On or secured to the said disk M isa pinion N, in mesh with the gear or segment 0, which segment is secured upon or constitutes a part of the segment disk P. Said disk M and pinion N are carried on the shaft H, and are free to revolve thereon in either direction with the segment O. Extending from the treadle B to the disk P is an operating rod Z), which is secured at its upper end to the stud 7;, by means of the ear ,1), secured so as to be revoluble thereon, and cause rotation thereof upon depressing the treadle. Projecting laterally from the wall C is a rib c terminating at its lower end in the boss or hearing extension 0 in which is journaled the shaft Q, carrying said segment disk, P, while from the inner side of said disk P projects a stud or stop 72 which abuts against the said rib o, and serves to limit the return movement of said segment 0, and pinion N under the action of the spring R, which is connected to the treadle at one end and to the rod S at the other end. Another stud or stop 12'' projects from the inner side of the segment disk P, and is adapted to engage with a lug or stop I which projects from the disk L. The said stops 72 and Z come into contact with each other just as the stop 7' passes over the roller (Z and thereby serve to form a positive stop to the rotation of the segment disk P on the downward movement of the treadle. That is the stops are so correlated as to engage with each other and limit the travel of the various parts of the mechanism to the rcspective distances required by them to cause one complete revolution of the marking die.

For greater convenience in handling, shipping and manipulation, instead of the wall C being formed integral with the supporting legs or pedestal, I prefer to form said wall of a single piece of metal of the form best shown in Fig. 1, with the portion c forming the side wall of the initial letter re ceiving table, and the portion 0 projecting above the line thereof serving as a supporting wall for the marking devices, and their auxiliary connected parts so that if said verticalwall should be detached from the rest of the fixed parts of the machine, and the treadle rod, all the operative parts will be connected thereto, and may be shipped indelit) pendently of the supporting means therefor, and will. occupy only a small space comparatively, thus avoiding the expense of ship ping the whole machine when it is desired to repair any of the operative parts thereof.

The side wall C and connected parts are secured to the bracket T shown in detail in Fig. 9, which bracket is bolted or otherwise secured to the standard A, above the legs thereof. Said b 'acket is provided with the downwardly extending leg t, and the two wings 25, and t to which are secured said wall C. It will be noted that a bracket h is secured at its lower end to the wall C, and extends from thence upwardly where it terminates in a bearing h for the shaft H, which shaft is also provided with a bearing in said wall C, thus holding said shaft and connected parts firmly in operative position.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The parts being normally at rest, a letter is introduced into the operative parts by gravity carrying it down on the inclined bottom plate D, where it is held by the angular stop j, and there held by said stop until the treadle B is depressed, whereupon the parts will be actuated with the disk J, and marking die, both engaging with the letter at or near the forward edge thereof, and automatically advancing the letter by said contact through the machine, after which it falls into any suitable receptacle, such as the hopper U, shown after the marking die has made its impression thereon. lVhile the letter is passing through the ma chine, its progress will be governed primarily by the pressure thereon of the disk J, and the pressure roller (Z which serve as letter feeding means for advancing the letter or other mail-matter at the same speed as the surface of the marking die, and it will be observed that said disk J and die 2' are in such close proximity that they will both bear upon any ordinary letter passing through the machine. The bottom of the letter way D is yieldingly held in position so as to accommodate letters of varying thickness, and holds said roller (Z in constant contact with said disk J, and the cam j, on said disk slightly depresses said bottom plate at each revolution so as to prevent undue friction of the bottom plate against the marking die, the cam being slightly in advance of said die in rotation of the disk J and die 2'. Upon each full depression of the treadle B, the marking die and disk J will perform a complete revolution, and the spring R will return the treadle to its normal position, the clutch w, permitting the reverse movement of the segment disk P to its normal position of rest.

It will be observed that a letter may be introduced upon each complete revolution of the die, and the cam wheel, J, and by multi-i plying the number of marking parts, a num ber of letters may be post-marked at one op eration. In some cases, as for instance, where the inking roller has just been reinked or a new one positioned, it is advisable to sometimes rotate the marking die thereunder a number of times, without passing any maiLmatter through the machine. It is likewise essential when this is being done to hold down the plate D so that the rollers cl, d will not contact with the cam and the marking die. To this end I pivot a gravitating latch L (Figs. 1 and 3) to the lower portion of the side wall C, said latch hanging down in a normally inoperative position, as shown in full lines. The latch is provided with a notch L vhich is so positioned that when the latch is manually swung up it will engage the lower edge of the plate D, the latter being then depressed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This will hold the rollers d and (Z away from the roller I and disk J and permit the printing or marking roller I to be freely rotated, whereby the canceling die 2' may be brought into contact with the inking roller K as often as may be desired.

lVhat I claim, is

1. In a machine of the class described, a gravity feed channel with its bottom wall pivotally supported in position, a marking couple in said channel both members of which are normally at rest and one of which is carried by said pivoted bottom wall, and means for operating said marking couple.

2. In a machine of the class described, a gravity feed channel with its bottom wall. pivotally supported in position, a marking couple in said channel, a letter feeding couple in said channel having one of its members carried by said pivoted bottom wall, and means for operating said marking couple.

3. In a machine of the described class, a marking roller, a cam disk on the same shaft having a letter stop thereon, an inclined letter way provided with a spring held bottom member, and means for actuating said marking roller, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with its bottom member pivotally supported in position, a marking couple normally in the letter path, comprising a marking roller and an impression roller. one of said rollers being carried by the said bottom member, and means for intermittently operating said marking roller, substantially as set forth.

5.In a machine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with a spring controlled bottom member pivotally supported in position. a marking couple normally in the letter path, comprising a marking roller and an impression roller, said impression roller being carried by said bottom member,

tel

and means for intermittently operating said marking roller, substantially as set forth.

6. In a. machine of the described class,

a a gravity feed channel with its bottom member pivotally supported at one end in position, amarkmg couple normally in the letter path, comprising a marking and an impression roller, said impression roller bein'g carried by said bottom member, and means for intermittently operating said marking roller, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with its bottom member pivotally supported in position at its upper end, a marking couple normally in the letter path, comprising a marking and an impression roller, said impression roller being carried by said bottom memiber, and means for intermittently operating said marking roller, substantially as set forth. 7

8. In a machine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with a spring sup- 2'57 ported bottom member pivotally supported at its upper end, a marking couple normally in the letter path, comprising a marking and an impression roller, the latter being carried by said bottom member, and

. means for intermittently operating said marking couple, substantially as set forth.

9. In amachine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with a spring supported bottom member pivotally supported at its upper end, a marking couple, comprising a marking roller and an impression roller, and a stop normally in the letter path, and carried by said marking roller, and means for intermittently operating said 2! marking couple, substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine of the described class, a gravity feed channel with a spring supported bottom member pivotally supported at its upper end, a marking couple, and a 51 stop normally in the letter path, and means jecting when at rest below said bottom line of the letter path, substantially as set forth.

12. In a mail marking machine, the combination witha printing couple, and a stop, of a letter channel with its bottom plate yieldingly supported in operative position,

a spring bearing normally against said plate,

and an angular downward extension of said plate with slot therein, whereby said plate is secured against lateral movement away from the side wall of said letter channel, substantially as set forth.

. 13. In a mail marking machine, a marking couple, a letter channel with a rigid wall carrying the marking device, in combination with a movable bottom hung pivotally at one end from the said wall, an actuating spring carried from said rigid wall bearing against said bottom, and a pair of impression rollers supported from said bottom and extending to a point in the letter path, substantially as set forth.

14. In a mail marking machine, the combination of a letter channel having one wall yieldingly held in position, a marking couple comprising a marking roller and an im pression roller, the latter being carried by said yielding wall of the letter channel, and a cam arranged to rotate with said marking roller and to press the said yielding channel wall away from said marking roller to facilitate the gripping of the letter by said marking couple, substantially as set forth.

15. In a mail marking machine, the combination of a letter channel having one wall yieldingly held in position, a marking couple comprising a marking roller and an impression roller, the latter being carried by said yielding channel wall, and a cam having a. projecting surface adapted both to stop the travel of the letter along its pathway and to press the yielding channel wall away from said marking roller to facilitate the gripping of the letter by said marking couple.

16. In a mail marking machine, a. gravity feed channel, a marking couple in said channel, means for pivotally supporting one wall of the said channel, a stop to limit the movement of said wall, and means for operating said marking couple so as to cause the letter to be fed forward between the members of said couple and to be marked during said movement, substantially as set forth.

17. In a machine of the class described, a marking couple normally at rest in the letter path, means for pivotally supporting one wall of said letter path, said pivoted wall carrying one element of said marking couple. and means for intermittently operating said marking couple, the members of said couple being arranged in the letter path so as to feed the letter forward between them during their operation.

18. In a machine of the class described, a marking couple and a letter feeding couple both normally at rest in the letter path, means for pivotally supporting the bottom wall of said letter path, and means for intermittently operating said marking couple so as to cause the letter to be fed forward between said couple.

19. In a machine of the described class, a

marking couple, power transmitting mechanism for operating the marking couple provided with a two part stop device one of which parts is carried by a member of said power transmitting mechanism and is adapted to engage with the other part of said stop device to limit the rotation of the marking couple to one complete revolution, and means for applying power to the power transmitting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

20. In a machine of the described class, a marking couple, power transmitting mechanism for operating said marking couple provided with a positive stop device consisting of two parts each one of which is carried on separate members of the power transmitting mechanism and adapted to engage and limit the rotation of the marking couple to one complete revolution, and means for applypower to the power transmitting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

21. In a letter marking machine, a marking couple, a power transmitting mechanism for operating said marking couple, and means for limiting the extent of rotation of said marking couple comprising a stop device consisting of two parts both of which are adapted to rotate with members of the power transmitting mechanism and to engage and limit the rotation of the marking couple to one complete revolution, substantially as set forth.

22. In a mail marking machine, a feed channel one of the walls of which is yieldingly held in position, a marking couple, a letter stop adapted to rotate with one of the parts of said marking couple and during a portion of each revolution to engage said yielding wall, and means for operating said marking couple.

23. In a mail marking machine, the combination of a gravity feed channel one wall of which along which the letter travels is yieldingly supported in position, a marking couple comprising a marking roller and an impression roller, a cam disk arranged on the same shaft with the marking roller having a projection which is adapted to be pro jected into the letter path to check the forward travel of the letter along the said channel wall, substantially as set forth.

24. In a mail marking machine, the combination of a feed channel. a marking couple having the line of tangency of its members in the line of travel of the letters through said channel, and a cam disk arranged on the same shaft with one of the members of said marking couple and having a projection arranged to extend into the pathway of the letters through the channel, substantially as set forth.

25. In a machine of the class described, a feed channel comprising a fixed side and a bottom piece pivotally supported at one end;

a spring serving to move the lower free end of said bottom piece upwardly; a printing couple, one member of which is carried by the bottom piece; an inking roll; means for temporarily holding the bottom piece in a lowered position with the couple members separated; and means for actuating the printing member of the couple while the couple is separated, whereby said printing member may be rotated in contact with the inking roll without transferring the ink to the other member of the couple.

26. In a machine of the class described, a feed channel having its bottom wall pivotally supported in position; a marking couple in said channel, both members of which are normally at rest and one of which is carried by said pivoted bottom wall; means for operating said marking couple; and means for holding the bottom wall in its depressed position, thereby rendering the printing couple inoperative.

27. In a machine of the class described, a gravity feed channel with its bottom wall pivotally supported in position; a marking couple in said channel, both members of which are normally at rest and one of which is carried by said pivoted bottom wall; means for operating said marking couple; an inking roll adapted to ink the marking die of said marking couple; and means for holding the bottom wall in a depressed position, whereby the marking die may be r0- tated and carried any number of times into contact with the inking roll, independently of any function of the other member of the marking couple.

28. In a machine of the class described, a gravity feed channel with a spring-controlled bottommember pivotally supported in position; a marking couple normally in the letter-path, comprising a marking roller and an impression roller, said impression roller being carried by said bottom member; means for operating said marking roller; and means for locking the bottom member in a depressed position and thereby rendering the marking couple inoperative, while permitting the impression roller to be rotated.

29. In a machine of the class described, a feed channel having its bottom wall pivotally supported in position; a marking couple in said channel, both members of which are normally at rest and one of which is carried by the pivoted bottom wall; a letterfeed couple, one member of which is like wise carried by said pivoted bottom wall; and means for operating said marking and feeding couples in unison.

30. In a machine of the class described, a feed channel having its bottom wall pivotally supported in position; a marking couple in said channel, one member of said couple being carried by the bottom wall; a letter-feeding couple in said channel, one member thereof being likewise carried by the bottom wall; and means for rotating the printing die of the marking couple and the corresponding member of the feeding cou- 7 bottom; a printing die working in conjunction with one of said rolls; and acombined letter-stop and feed disk working in conjunction with the other roll.

32. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a feed channel having its bottom wall pivotally supported in position; means serving to raise said bottom wall; a printing die mounted above said'bottom wall and adapted to coact with mail matter passed beneath the same; and a disk likewise mounted above said bottom, said disk being provided throughout a portion of its periphery with a cam surface and a shoulder, the latter adapted to act as a letterstop while the cam surface acting upon the pivoted bottom tends to move the same downwardly away from the die.

33. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a feed channel having a yielding member forming a part of the channel and over which the letters are fed;

a printing die; a feeding device adapted to feed the letters and to move the yielding member away from the die; and means for actuating said die and feeding device.

34. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a feed channel having a yielding member over which the letters are fed; a printing die; a feeding device adapted to feed the letters and to move the yielding member away from the die when the latter has functioned; means for normally holding the yielding member up to the die; and means for actuating said die and feeding device.

35. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a feed channel having a yielding member over which the letters are fed; a printing die; a device adapted to position the letters with relation to the die, to feed the letters, and to move the yielding member away from the die when the latter has functioned; means for urging the yielding member toward the die and said feeding device; and means for actuating said die and feeding device in unison.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLARD -D. DOREMUS.

Witnesses DAMO H. MEAD, EDWIN S. CLARKsoN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

